At first blush, you might not think there are many ties between the Irish and the Mexican cultures. But there are actually quite a few! In honor of O' Drinko de Mayo (more popularly known as Cinco de Mayo), we're revealing some fun facts about how the bonds between Ireland and Mexico.

2) A group of Irish Men started the San Patricios (or the St. Patrick’s) Battalion in the Mexican-American War? This brigade of primarily Irish men was lead by John O’Riley and became known as one of the toughest battalions in that war. They are still honored today in Mexico for their bravery. Many actually stayed behind after the war and settled in parts of Mexico. Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Patrick%27s_Battalion

3) Today, there are roughly between 300,000 and 600,000 Irish-descendants living in Mexico City, and the Northern region of the country, where Irish last names such as Bay, Lamport, Byrne, Walsh, Foley, Hayes, and O'Leary are very common.